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Technological innovations are improving restaurant operations. Boston, MA-based John Harvard's Brew House's ExcelleNet assists the company in managing electronic mails and point-of-sale polling, as well as determine how new recipes are affecting profitability. Calabasas Hills, CA-based Cheesecake Factory has used silent patron pagers JTech to increase table turn-over rates and to allow customers to do their shopping while waiting for their turn., Technology - can't live with it, can't live without it. The trick is to find the right tools to get the job done and then hire the right people who [...]

The Clubhouse restaurant in Chicago, IL, is owned by Northfield, IL-based Clubhouse International. The generously served foods are comparable to other high-end restaurants and are priced relatively cheaper. The menus are grouped into two. One consists of clubby foods priced $19.50 and below while the other includes more expensive comfort foods, such as 'Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Sundae' and chicken pot pie. The restaurant also features a dressing room originally intended for women, but may also be used by the men., Keith Rudman, president of the Clubhouse, did not order the aptly named 'Steak & Portobello Stack.' Neither did the journalist who is interviewing Rudman over lunch at his flagship restaurant [...]

Ten of the best marketing campaigns in the history of the restaurant industry were characterized not only by big budgets but also creativity. The most unforgettable marketing effort in years has been Kentucky Fried Chicken's television advertisements featuring its creator Colonel Harland Sanders. McDonald's 1971 television commercial starring actors John Amos and Anson Williams was also memorable. Other campaigns worth noting are those from Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts and Wendy's., Great marketing makes us forget that somebody is trying to sell us something. It casts its persuasive spell with an indelible image, a cleverly worded catchphrase, or a jingle that [...]

Many restaurants are reinventing themselves to beef up their image and adjust to market changes. Aside from shortening its name, 9,900-unit Louisville, KY-based KFC has launched a new logo and modified its menu items, signage and uniforms. Other restaurants that are implementing re-imaging strategies include Cafe Spiaggia, Damon's, The Melting Pot and Red Lobster., Way back when, if you wanted to spruce up your restaurant, you bought a few cans of paint. That approach isn't going to cut it today, though. These days, the [...]

Time management is crucial for food service professionals and restaurateurs, since they keep busy schedules. Saving time while going through daily activities can be done, however. The first step is to remove the clutter, such as classifying papers according to what needs to be done and what should go on file. A list of things to do and an organizer are helpful in setting priorities and determining how to accomplish things. Time spent on matters that seem urgent but actually are not important such as phone calls, correspondence or meetings should likewise be minimized. Focusing on what needs to be done for the moment is also an effective time budgeting idea., HOW TO GET MORE OUT OF EVERY MINUTE We know you're busy, so let's cut to the chase: On the following pages you'll find pointers from some of the top [...]

A robust economy, reduced unemployment and improved consumer confidence due to increasing average earnings and disposable income have all combined to urge consumers to indulge in the finer things in life. Nowhere is the trend toward splurging more evident than in restaurants, where consumers are increasingly going either to treat themselves, satisfy a craving or celebrate, all of which reflect indulgent impulses. Restaurants should take advantage of such a trend, and post profit as they pamper their customers., There's just something about Lola's Club Roulette in Chicago that makes you want to spend money. Maybe it's the menu, loaded with steaks, chops, and prime rib. Maybe it's the [...]

Restaurant operators can unite and oppose government mandates which could take a toll on their businesses. In Denver, CO, when the purchase of new police cars would mean additional taxes for restaurants, the Colorado Restaurant Assn. began lobbying for taxes which shall be shared by all businesses. As a result, no tax increase was made and police cars were bought within the city's existing budget. Other successful lobbying efforts involve proposition 166, smoking ban in public places and an increase in excise taxes on beer, wine and liquor., DON'T THINK FOR A MOMENT YOU'RE HELPLESS IN THE FACE OF GOVERNMENT MANDATES. HERE'S AN INSTRUCTIVE LOOK AT HOW SOME RESTAURANT OPERATORS BEAT THE BUREAUCRACY BEFORE IT STEAMROLLED THEM. At [...]

Restaurants increase their chances of success if they have the proper sales approach. Seven seasoned and highly successful players in the restaurant business share their respective techniques not only for selling menu items such as entrees, wines, appetizers and desserts, but also for 'selling' service, expertise and the restaurant as whole to customers., SEVEN EXPERTS SHARE THEIR SECRETS FOR SELLING MORE OF EVERYTHING ON THE MENU - AND THEN SOME HOW TO SELL SERVICE Having celebrities associated with our restaurants is a great [...]

Twenty tips for exceeding the expectations of restaurant customers are offered. These include the proper ways of taking reservations, greeting customers, seating guests, keeping guests comfortable while they wait, handling children, handing out menus and providing wine service. Also covered are the best approaches to presenting food, establishing service rituals, dealing with angry demands, clearing the table, presenting the check, and sending home satisfied customers., 20 little things you can do today to exceed customer expectations Your customers are bombarded daily by stock phrases and canned spiels that make a poor stab at meeting their [...]

The Rio Ranch restaurant in Houston, TX, is owned and operated by partners Lonnie and Candice Schiller, and Robert and Mimi Del Grande. The restaurant has a seating capacity of 225 and is inspired by the ranch houses of the Texas Hill Country. A menu of regional favorites is served including dishes such as slow-grilled duckling with Tabasco and molasses, buttermilk-fried chicken, venison sausage, chicken-fried steak and cornmeal-fried quail. Food served is at a good level of quality at mid-range cost., Lonnie Schiller is too calm for a restaurateur whose latest $1.5 million venture is coming together before his eyes. Beneath an overcast December sky, a landscaping crew is digging and [...]

Branson, Missouri is considered a boomtown becuse of the theaters, motels, restaurants, gift shops, natural attractions and other recreational facilities suitable for family entertainment that the area offers. Branson has hotels and resorts offering comfortable lodging as well as all the major restaurants and fast food chains. However, Branson's economic success has led to traffic and sewage system problems which city and state officials hope to address., WHAT'S SO SPECIAL about Branson, Missouri? Ken Roten hazards an educated hunch. 'It's very straight here,' says the congenial owner of the Branson Cafe. 'You dance with the girl you [...]

With a glass of chilled grapefruit juice and water in one hand and the other on the steering wheel of his Mercedes, Wolfgang Puck is flirting with the speed limit [...]

... It's not the large things that send a man to the madhouse...no, it's the continuing series of small tragedies that send a man to the madhouse ...not the death [...]

Curious ALTERNATIVES As the range of fruits and vegetables expands, food oddities like mayhaws, Saigon Red pineapples, and miniature iceberg lettuce could gain popularity. A wild native fruit of the [...]

Some Kind of Savior Hard Rock owner Peter Morton wants to wipe out environmental crises before they wipe out the Earth. It's just past noon and the Hard Rock Cafe [...]

Restaurateur Edward Phelps Grace III hopes to dominate the American restaurant scene with his two up-and-coming restaurant chains, Bugaboo Creek Steak House and the Capital Grille. He currently has four restaurants in the northeastern part of the country: two Bugaboo units in Warwick, RI, and Seekonk, MA, and two Capital Grille units in Providence and Boston. Eventually, Grace would like to establish an international, multi-concept restaurant company. He recently took Bugaboo Creek Steak House Inc. public and succeeded in raising an impressive $21 million., FOUR RESTAURANTS AND A SOLID REPUTATION WERE ALL HE NEEDED TO RAISE $21 MILLION. NO WONDER BUGABOO CREEK'S NED GRACE IS A HAPPY CAMPER. IN A NONDESCRIPT office building on [...]

Steak-Out stores delivers steaks to more customers in the southeastern states. They provide service that used to be given only by hamburger and pizza chains. Efficient, streamlined kitchens and strict delivery parameters ensure that orders are delivered within 30 minutes or less. Steak-Out pres and founder David Martin plans to add ten more franchises by the end of 1993, after a reported 565 in systemwide sales in 1992., The sun is smiling down on Huntsville, Alabama, somewhat to the dismay of David Martin. The 37-year-old founder and president of Steak-Out was hoping for a thunderstorm, or at least [...]

AS THE LUNCH RUSH gathers momentum, Bertucci's founder and president Joey Crugnale shifts into overdrive. He is a blur now, racing past the exhibition kitchen that is the centerpiece of [...]

Call him a guy who knows where to dine - on this particular occasion, it's Gabrielle in New York. Call him a man with a mission who turned his back [...]

'Anybody know why they call a dead person a stiff?' Ed Schoenfeld, chef and owner of two restaurants, poses the question after being asked why he will not be slaughtering [...]

TOP 100 chains 'It must be pretty boring for you guys who write about the chains,' blithely offered the spokeswoman for a major restaurant company. 'I mean, there aren't many [...]

Restaurant chains, such as Chili's, Damon's and Beef O'Brady's, have decided to enter into a deal with DirecTV Inc to attract more patrons during off-hours or entice them into staying longer. According to the deal, DirecTV shall transmit digitally compressed programming to three orbiting satellites which, in turn, beam the transmissions back down to restaurant subscribers through 18-inch satellite dishes. Unlike cable television, DirecTV will take care of promotion and marketing to attract customers to come back. It will also carry programs that cable does not have, such as the NFL Sunday Ticket., Several casual chains recently invested in new dishes - satellite dishes, that is. In August, DirecTV Inc. announced that it had signed commercial programming distribution agreements with 10 chains: Beef [...]

Miami, FL-based Burger King Corp has pioneered the use of smart cards as alternatives to paying with cash or credit cards in restaurants. The cards contain microchips that can store more information and perform more functions than old-fashioned credit cards. The company believes that these cards offer more convenience and have a better capacity to build brand loyalty compared with other forms of payment. However, security concerns on electronic transactions may serve as barriers for the development of the technology., Burger King and others are banking on the convenience of paying with smart cards For years, forward-looking types have been predicting that a cashless society is right around the corner. [...]

Elvis Presley Enterprises will launch Elvis Presley's Memphis, a 275-seat restaurant which will feature live entertainment, a lounge and a billiards room, in Jul 1997, a month before the King of Rock 'n' Roll's 20th death anniversary. The place will offer contemporary Southern cuisine, ranging from smoked chicken sandwich to Tennessee bourbon pepper steak. Elvis' favorite peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich will also be part of the menu. Elvis Presley Enterprises Pres Priscilla Presley says the restaurant would be where Elvis would have loved to entertain friends., Look for the number of Elvis sightings at Burger King franchises to decrease significantly come July. That's when Elvis Presley's Memphis is set to open in (duh) Memphis, one month [...]

Chicago, IL, welcomed a new addition to its roster of restaurants with the Sep. 1996 opening of Red Light. However, the high-concept, ultra-hip diner differs from other area restaurants by serving purely Asian foods. Executive chef Michael Kornick uses his culinary experiences from his travels to China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand to whip up Asian barbecue dishes, satays, dumplings, noodles and rice, soups, salads, vegetable dishes, seafood and 'landfood.' Despite being located near an Italian eatery and a French diner, Red Light's sales have been on the rise., They've done it again. In September, Chicago-based KDK Restaurant Group opened yet another high-concept, ultra-hip eatery in its hometown. Red Light, the company's new Asian restaurant, is hard to miss, [...]

Certain suggestions are given for servers to increase tips from customers. Servers who introduce themselves, squat next to tables when talking with customers, write 'thank you' on the back of checks, use tip trays decorated with credit card logos and smile often are found to receive higher tips. Female servers who draw a happy face on checks are observed to have higher tips than male servers, while female customers are found to be more receptive to touching than male customers., Hey, servers - want to boost tips? Herewith, seven simple things you can do to improve your take. These suggestions are based on findings from a recent study by Michael [...]

The Dallas branch of Cafe Express opened amidst laughter and one sign of good fortune for the deli. The new outlet is part of a full-scale 1996 expansion program of Schiller Del Grande Restaurant Group, its central company. The new Cafe Express has a ranch-style structure with a capacity of 180. Co-owner Lonnie Schiller explains that their individualized buildings aim to create an ambience that deludes a fastfood chain atmosphere. Its specialties include Express Club or roasted turkey on toasted wheat bread, roasted chicken and fettuccine., Give the folks behind Cafe Express this much: They know how to throw a party. To celebrate last month's launch of their latest quick-service restaurant in Dallas, they invited a [...]

The first thing to remember when going to a trade show is to wear comfortable shoes because one will be doing a lot of walking. Trade show attendees should also try to pre-register, set specific goals and priorities, divide responsibilities, avoid partaking of every free sample, bring along a container for product literature and samples and bring along parts to be repaired or replaced., By all means, wear comfortable shoes. That's the first piece of advice they always give you, and they're right. If you're on your way to the National Restaurant Association Show [...]

3rd & Eats is a restaurant in Washington, DC, that provides food service training to the homeless and unemployed. The four-month program offers comprehensive training since the trainees are usually inexperienced. Most trainees stay with the program despite the hardship and minimal compensation because they know that the course increases their chances of finding full-time employment later on., It's lunchtime in Washington, D.C., and 3rd & Eats is packed with government employees who have stolen away from their Judiciary Square offices for a sandwich or a trip to [...]

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) exerts a tremendous influence on public opinion about restaurants. Chinese and Italian restaurants were said to have suffered a decrease in sales of up to 35% when the CSPI declared that fettucine dishes and some similar Chinese dishes were bad for the heart. The CSPI encourages restaurants to decrease the salt and fat content of their food., The Center for Science in the Public Interest was back in the headlines earlier this year with a nutritional analysis of popular menu items at Italian restaurants. Among the mixed [...]

Chef David Bouley of Bouley restaurant gets all his food ingredients straight from harvesters. He believes that meals do not have to be complicated to be delicious. His preference for fresh foods was ingrained as a boy when his diet consisted of homemade bread and fresh harvests from the farm. He believes in growing and preparing food for the flavor, not for its visual appeal., Chef David Bouley gives us the fingerling POLITELY DECLINING TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED ASTRIDE THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON HE RIDES to and from work--he'd rather not compromise his image as a serious chef, [...]

Two children died of Escherichia coli infection originating from contaminated ground meat served at Jack in the Box. Michael Nole had eaten a cheeseburger and later died of heart and kidney failure brought on by the infection, and the possibility of Celina Shribbs' acquiring secondary E. coli infection was determined as the cause of her death. The slow and clumsy response of Jack in the Box in handling this crisis has not been good for their image. The restaurant industry is advised to learn how to avoid and handle such crisis., Escherichia coli 0175:H7 can turn up in pork, chicken, turkey, venison, and milk. Most commonly, however, the pathogenic strain of bacteria that recently claimed two lives and caused a rash [...]

Not since a nude and very pregnant Demi Moore posed for Vanity Fair has a magazine cover story generated this much controversy and heated debate. Last month, Consumer Reports published [...]

The American Express Revolution Their little uprising may not have all the historical ramifications of dumping tea into Boston Harbor, but a group of Boston restaurateurs have kicked up quite [...]

The ominous clouds of a late spring shower hang low over Sandusky, Ohio, anointing J.J. Musky's with buckets of baptismal rain. Sins of the past are forgiven, washed with the [...]

We promise to prepare food that is healthy, delicious, fresh, and affordable. Food you will probably serve your family, your friends, and yourself time and time again.' So reads 'The [...]

The California Artichoke Advisory Board's two-day fifth chefs summit included a trip to an artichoke field in Castroville, CA, and an artichoke-cooking event. To show how versatile the vegetables are, 10 of the top chefs in the US prepared sumptuous dishes with artichokes. These include Keith Luce's savory artichoke soup with nicoise olive and artichoke gratin, Alex Lee's roasted artichokes and Bob Davis' shrimp and artichoke scampi over orzo., Ten of the top chefs in the country were there. So was a select group of journalists. Oddly, the only thing missing from the California Artichoke Advisory Board's fifth chefs [...]

Mr. Goodcents Subs & Pastas founder and franchise owner Joe Bisogno believes in hard work, dedication, commitment and the investment of long hours in any store to be run by a potential franchisee. Mr Goodcents franchisees who have these qualities stand to recover a $100,000 investment and can also sell their facility for $250,000 within five years. The fast food chain has 104 units in 15 states and generated a combined $36 million in 1996 sales., After climbing the corporate ladder at McDonald's for 11 years, Joe Bisogno, 42, founded Mr. Goodcents Subs & Pastas in 1988. Based in Lenexa, Kan., the quick-service chain has 104 [...]

French restaurant Le Chantilly owner and chef David Ruggerio has written a book on Italian American food called the 'Little Italy Cookbook.' The volume features 150 recipes drawn from Italian immigrants, restaurants and shops. Recipes for desserts in the book are very enticing. Some excellent recipes in the book include 'Linguine with Scallops,' 'Ravioli Nudi,' 'Pasta with Wild Greens and Ricotta,' and 'Polenta with a Ragu of Wild Mushrooms.', Chef David Ruggerio has showcased his talents at a succession of three-star French restaurants in New York City, including Le Chantilly (which he now owns), Maxim's, and La Caravelle. Odd, [...]

Specialty coffee retailer Starbucks and Sony Style store have entered into a co-branding venture in New York, NY. Starbucks has opened a cafe within Sony Style's premises in Sony Plaza arcade. The move is a departure from the coffee retailer's typical choice of locations. The cafe counter at Starbucks' outlet in Sony Style features two listening booths where customers can access and preview an interactive library of CDs and Sony Playstation games., THE PLAYERS: Starbucks, the increasingly ubiquitous retailer of specialty coffee, and Sony Plaza, a New York City arcade popular with locals and tourists alike THE DEAL: Starbucks recently opened a [...]

Many fastfood restaurant chains are using the word 'Big' in their promotional campaigns. It appears that these companies believe consumers significantly value the size of the chains' products. A marketing consultant noted that consumers define value in a number of ways including price and serving portions but ultimately look for quality. The consultant also noted that the fast food restaurant chains have overplayed the strategy of producing and advertising bigger-sized menu products, thus losing the tactic's effect., Bigger is better! is the mantra of the marketing campaign for the new oversized line of Little Caesars pizzas. The tag line is being used to promote the chain's Big!Big! [...]

Chicago, IL-based restaurateur Debbie Sharpe runs two eateries and a catering firm called Eat Your Hearts Out! that has served or is serving show business personalities including the music group Rolling Stones, singer and composer Paul McCartney and singer Michael Jackson on their road tours. The lady is more familiar with the equipment and supplies in her restaurant kitchens than with the equipment and supplies in her kitchen at home. Given a choice of what to stock her home refrigerator with, Sharpe would buy oysters, Australian candy and chocolates., Meet Chicago restaurateur Debbie Sharpe. She lives (with her six cats) above Feast, a cozy neighborhood joint where the food reflects African, Indian, Japanese, and Mediterranean influences. Just around the [...]

Mark Miller, chef and restaurateur, caters to an Asian clientele in the newly-opened Raku in D.C.'s Dupont Circle. The shift from a mostly Hispanic concentration to Japanese and Chinese customers was influenced by his Berkeley days when he took up Asian studies and roomed with Asians. The average check at Raku would be $10 to $11. A giant screen featuring sumo wrestling and Asian music videos are the added attractions., Mark Miller, the celebrity chef and savvy restaurateur who made his name serving Southwestern cuisine at Santa Fe's Coyote Cafe and Red Sage in Washington, D.C., is opening a new [...]

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans issued in Jan. 1996 by the Dept. of Health and Human Services and Agriculture Dept. endorses moderate alcohol consumption and vegetarian diets. The guidelines state that moderate drinking can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease while vegetarian diets comply with the Recommended Dietary Allowances for nutrients. Other recommendations include the combination of rice, pasta and potatoes with low-fat foods, and the reduced intake of sugar and sodium., Are we having fun yet? New dietary recommendations from the federal government don't exactly beg the question, but they do send a clear message that eating is supposed to be [...]

The expansion rate of the Mimi's Cafes chain of restaurants by no less than 20% annually is attributed to efficient personnel and real estate management. The company's recruiting and training department hires capable restaurant employees while its real estate department successfully finds ideal locations close to residential and commercial areas. Mimi's Cafes is based in Los Angeles, CA, and has 21 restaurants in Southern California and Arizona., How do you expand a regional chain of family-oriented, casual-dining restaurants by at least 20 percent a year? If you're Tom Simms, president of Mimi's Cafes, you rely on a [...]

A competition for students has been speculated between the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and California Culinary Academy (CCA) following their opening of new schools on opposite coasts. New York, NY-based CIA has opened a school at the former Greystone Cellars winery in Napa Valley while CCA will acquire the New York Restaurant School in Manhattan. However, CCA VP Keith Keog believes that there are enough students to go around since these cities are food destinations with plenty of restaurants., Two of the country's premier culinary schools may soon find themselves competing for students on both coasts. Classes began last month at the Culinary Institute of America's new Napa Valley [...]

A number of famous New York City restaurants have changed owners. Among these are Ark Restaurants' acquisition of the French restaurant Lutece from chef Andre Soltner, Warner Leroy's purchase of the Russian Tea Room and the sale of the Four Seasons to Joseph E. Seagram and Sons. Dining guide publisher Tim Zagat believes these restaurants will remain as good as they are and will even benefit from the upgrades planned by their new owners., It all started last fall when New York City-based Ark Restaurants bought Lutece, chef Andre Soltner's acclaimed French restaurant in the heart of Manhattan (see 'When Worlds Collide,' December). The [...]

Chef Paul O'Connell has opened a new, 120-seat restaurant in Brookline, MA, which promises to be one of the leading establishments in the area's dining business. The restaurant, known as Providence, specializes in reinterpreted American favorites given a touch of European accents. It proved to be an instant hit among local diners, largely because of the generous portions it serves at bargain prices. O'Connell also attributes Providence's success to its cozy, yet stunning ambiance, which departs from the 'casual' atmosphere most restaurants prefer., AFTER YEARS OF PLAYING SECOND fiddle to some of the best and brightest on Boston's dining scene, Paul O'Connell has finally gone solo. Last November, the 31-year-old chef opened Providence, [...]

One hundred twenty-six chefs, environmentalists, farmers and scientists met in June 1994 to discuss ways of enabling Americans to eat foods grown locally rather than those brought in from distant states. Several guidelines for reforming restaurants emerged from these discussions. Restaurateurs are encouraged to create a new paradigm for the food served, promote farmer-chef relations, become politically active, take part in community initiatives and promote bio-diversity in the kitchen., In late June, 126 chefs, environmentalists, farmers, and scientists gathered in Hopland, California, at the Valley Oaks Food and Wine Center. Their purpose: to discuss ways that would permit Americans [...]